Wakanda ( / w ə ˈ k ɑː n d ə , - ˈ k æ n -/ ), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda , is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby , the country first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). Wakanda is located in sub-Saharan Africa and has been depicted as being in East Africa . It is home to the superhero Black Panther .
60-528: Wakanda Forever may refer to: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , a 2022 sequel to the film Black Panther "Wakanda Forever", a catchphrase associated with the fictional country in Marvel Comics of Wakanda Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Wakanda Forever . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
120-628: A Siouan god called Wakan Tanka , Wakanda, Wakonda, or Waconda; or Wakandas. Or it may draw from a fictional African tribe from Edgar Rice Burroughs ' novel The Man-Eater , written in 1915 but published posthumously in 1957; or otherwise from any of several terms derived from the Proto-Bantu "-ganda", such as the Kenyan Kamba ethnic group , also called Akamba or Wakamba; or the word kanda , which means "family" in Kikongo . In
180-578: A pejorative name for the country, initially used to criticise the government or law enforcement authorities. For instance, a tweet criticising the Indonesian police may read, "Only in the country of Wakanda, law enforcers only act after it goes viral", instead of mentioning Indonesia directly. The use of such a disguise is intended to avoid problems with legal authorities amidst declining freedom of expression in Indonesia. A presidential candidate for
240-523: A Wakandan writing system based on the Nsibidi writing system; the Wakandan writing system was created for the film by production designer Hannah Beachler . According to designer Zach Fannin, it was also inspired by Tifinagh , Ancient South Arabian and Bamum script . In the comics, Wakanda is the foremost military power on Marvel Earth. The Wakandan Army is the country's main ground forces, while
300-478: A coffin to sleep through the coming day, and walked into the dawn to die in the sunlight. In the modern day, the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau sought the blood of a vampire; she had been given a potion in the 19th century by the immortal Cagliostro that would make her temporarily ageless, but each draught of the potion required a vampire's blood. Doctor Strange , the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme , had previously used
360-625: A fabulous capital city that integrates space-age technology with traditional designs. Wakanda consists of five tribes, four of which are united under the rule of the first Black Panther 10,000 years ago. As in the comics, the four tribes (The River tribe, the Mining tribe, the Merchant tribe, and the Border tribe ) worship Bast, the panther god, amongst others, and also have a strong spiritual tradition of ancestor worship. The lords of each tribe sit on
420-544: A grieving teenaged T'Challa. Klaue's right hand is destroyed, and he and his men flee. Wakanda has an unusually high rate of mutation due to the dangerously mutagenic properties of the Vibranium Mound. A large number of these Wakandan Mutates are working for Erik Killmonger . Vibranium radiation has permeated much of Wakanda's flora and fauna , including the Heart-Shaped Herb eaten by members of
480-555: A mission that sought the origin of Mena Ngai, the meteorite that brought the vibranium to Wakanda. In an alternative timeline set 2000 years in the distant past, a man named after Killmonger's real name, N'Jadaka, became a hero of the empire after retrieving the Shard of M'Kraan during the war against the Shi'ar Empire. However, the current ruler of Wakanda feared that N'Jadaka would overthrow him, so he sent N'Jadaka along with his squad on
540-769: A secret suicide mission to take the Matrix of the Mamadou galaxy, which was inhabited by the Kronans , Shadow People , and the Klyntar . Upon arriving on a planet in the galaxy, they were quickly attacked by a race known as the Between. Trying to survive, he came across a member of the Klyntar race and bonded with it, since they had a mutual hatred against the current emperor, who made the Klyntar an endangered species. Upon defeating
600-403: A small, poor Third World nation of humble herdsmen, using an advanced holographic projection shroud around its borders to hide the advanced technological civilization within. A core tension of the film's narrative is that the new Black Panther, T'Challa, is torn between his loyalty to hide and defend Wakanda as its king, and his own conscience to help the faltering world beyond its borders. Later in
660-416: A way to get both Kobik and the real Steve Rogers back, while rescuing both T'Challa and the rest of both captured and manipulated heroes. Once Hydra's empire has been undone, Wakanda expanded its legacy to form an intergalactic empire on Planet Bast, while also revoking the mutant ban in their country, such as allowing Storm to visit and help anytime. The empire, now encompassing five galaxies, arises after
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#1732797285671720-631: Is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by Steve Perry and Steve Bissette , the character first appeared in Bizarre Adventures #33 (December 1982). Varnae is a villainous vampire who has been an adversary of several of Marvel's supernatural and fantasy-related heroes, and is a major character in Marvel's Dracula mythos . He is named after Dracula 's literary predecessor, Varney
780-618: Is actually a disputed border region known as the Ilemi Triangle , claimed by each of these countries. This follows the location of the country in the comics according to Marvel Atlas #2 . The film Black Panther further established that, in keeping with this map location, it is a landlocked country in the central mountains far from the coasts. Impassable mountains and jungles around its borders have helped Wakanda isolate itself from outsiders. Internally, Wakanda consists of lush river valleys, mountain ranges rich in natural resources, and
840-662: Is called Hadari-Yao ("Walker of Clouds" in ancient Alkamite), a goddess who preserves the balance of natural things. Other little-known gods of Wakanda are enemies of Bast,:K'Liluna, the Bast's sister, considered a betrayer, and Magba. Bast the Panther Goddess, based on Bast the ancient Egyptian deity , is the primary deity of Wakanda. After the vibranium meteor fell, a number of Wakandans were painfully mutated into "demon spirits" and began attacking their fellow Wakandans. T'Challa's ancestor Olumo Bashenga began to close
900-619: Is considered by some to be a smart city . In Birnin Zana, pedestrians walk along commerce-filled streets that are car-free except for the occasional appearance of bus -like shuttles . The whole is quite similar to the woonerf concept, an approach to public space design which started in the Netherlands in the 1970s. Maglev trains are seen zipping above and around the city. Wakandan buildings incorporate some traditional African elements, such as thatched roofs and hanging gardens , on some of
960-510: Is one of the few Earth-616 civilizations who have contingency plans for dealing with Galactus , "The Devourer of Worlds". Wakanda contains a number of religious sects originating from various places in Africa, the Pantheon of Wakanda is known as The Orisha. Orisha is a Yoruba word meaning spirit or deity. Bast the Panther Goddess, Thoth , god of the moon and wisdom, and Ptah ,
1020-842: The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #20. Varnae was a sorcerer in ancient Atlantis who was a member of the cult of the Darkholders . The other Darkholders used the Darkhold tome to transform Varnae into the Earth's first vampire, but he turned on them when they tried to use him as a weapon against their nemesis, King Kull . Varnae became the Lord of the Vampires, and would retain that title for millennia. When Atlantis sank beneath
1080-578: The 2024 Indonesian presidential election , Anies Baswedan , promised to guarantee freedom of expression in Indonesia and once tweeted, "Wakanda no more, Indonesia forever." Another fictional placename, Konoha (short for Konohagakure from the Naruto series), is also used as a pejorative to refer to Indonesia in a discreet manner. Wakanda appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Inhabitants from this version of
1140-472: The Marvel Cinematic Universe , where it is depicted as the most technologically advanced nation on Earth. Some sources place Wakanda just north of Tanzania and exactly at Rwanda , while others—such as Marvel Atlas #2 —show it at the north end of Lake Turkana , in between South Sudan , Uganda , Kenya and Ethiopia (and surrounded by fictional countries like Azania, Canaan, and Narobia). Director Ryan Coogler stated that his depiction of Wakanda in
1200-668: The 2018 film Black Panther was inspired by the Southern African Kingdom of Lesotho . In recent stories by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates , Wakanda is located on Lake Victoria , near fellow fictional nations Mohannda, Canaan, Azania , and Niganda. This places these nations mostly in what in real life is the eastern half of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Birnin Zana is located within Wakanda. It
1260-725: The Between, N'Jadaka and the symbiote killed the emperor and took the throne as the new emperor of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. During this time, he got married and conceived a daughter. Upon finding out that T'Challa from the future had arrived in his present, he feared that T'Challa would join the Maroon rebels, so he had him become a member of the Nameless, slaves who had their memories wiped and were forced to mine for Vibranium on asteroids. However, T'Challa retained his memories of Storm and managed to escape to join
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#17327972856711320-612: The Black Panther Tribe (although T'Challa once allowed a dying Spider-Man to eat it in the hope that it would help him deal with a mysterious illness ) and the flesh of the White Gorilla eaten by the members of the White Gorilla Tribe. In the 2008 " Secret Invasion " storyline, Skrull forces led by Commander K'vvvr invade Wakanda and engage Black Panther and his forces. Due to heavy resistance to
1380-597: The Darkhold's Montesi Formula to destroy all of the Earth's vampires (including Dracula) and prevent any more vampires from being created. Although Laveau had once been able to obtain vampire blood via time travel, she instead sought to undo the Montesi Formula so that she could more easily obtain vampire blood. She tried to cast the Vampiric Verses from Strange's Book of the Vishanti to completely counter
1440-505: The Maroon's regardless. After that, N'Jadaka approached Bast and after recounting his origin, battled Bast's avatar. He was successful in killing it and making his daughter the new Avatar of Bast. After the Maroons got ahold of N'Jadaka's daughter and T'Challa had visited the planet of the Between, N'Jadaka with his army went after the rebels in order to get his daughter back. However, Bast betrayed him and made his Empire fighters crash into
1500-476: The Montesi Formula. When that failed, she used the Darkhold to recreate the Lord of the Vampires, but instead of resurrecting Dracula as had been expected, she revived Varnae. Varnae fought Strange, Laveau, and Brother Voodoo to a standstill, and left with a grudging respect for Strange as a nemesis. Varnae later fought several of Strange's allies John Blaze and the Nightstalkers . In his conflict with
1560-506: The N'Charu Silema; a spy network that worked across the globe to maintain the nation's secrecy. It was considered as good as the Mossad and certainly better than the CIA and MI6 . Later, P.R.I.D.E. (Princess Regent Intelligence Division Executives) was developed as the nation's protection agency. The nation has a secret police called Hatut Zeraze (War Dogs in the Wakandan language). Wakanda
1620-657: The Nightstalkers, Varnae took control of Bloodstorm (a clone of Dracula) and transformed the Nightstalkers' ally Taj Nital into a vampire. In the final battle, the sorceress Salome, who had usurped Strange's title as Sorcerer Supreme, freed Bloodstorm, with the resulting battle ending in an explosion that apparently killed the Nightstalkers Frank Drake (a descendant of Dracula) and Hannibal King (a vampire). The remaining Nightstalker, Blade , fought Varnae as well as Dracula, who had been reborn by
1680-528: The Norse god Thor . Eventually, Varnae tired of his existence, and set events in motion that would grant him a successor as the Lord of the Vampires. In the 15th century, Varnae manipulated a war between the Turkish Lord Turac and Dracula , who was then the mortal Vlad Tepes, prince of Transylvania. During a battle with Turac's forces, Dracula was fatally wounded by the immortal Apocalypse , but
1740-595: The Panther Goddess. Eons ago during the First Blasphemy, Khonshu tries to avenge a prisoner that was killed by Varnae only for Bast to tell Khonshu to stay his hand. Varnae who stole Vibranium from the Fires of Ptah and planned to ascend to godhood. This attracted the attention of Khonshu who met with Bast, Eshu, Gherke, and Ptah during Ra 's slumber. He wants the gods in the surrounding realms to be made aware before he retaliates. He gets their support alongside
1800-628: The Shaper, are Heliopolitan deities, who left ancient Egypt at the time of the pharaohs . Kokou is a warrior orisha from Benin . Mujaji is a rain goddess of the Lobedu people of South Africa . Other deities are worshiped in Wakanda, such as Sekhmet and Sobek , other Helipolitan deities, and the gorilla gods Ghekre and Ngi, worshiped by the Jabari tribe. The mutant Ororo Munroe (aka Storm), ex-wife of T'Challa and former queen of Wakanda,
1860-544: The Vampire . Varnae first appeared in Bizarre Adventures #33 (December 1982), and was created by Steve Perry and Steve Bissette . Varnae's involvement with Dracula's origin was a retcon to the original Marvel version of Dracula's origin. According to the origin given in Dracula Lives! #2 & 3, Dracula became the Lord of the Vampires by killing Nimrod , who held the title before him. When revisiting
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1920-526: The Wakandan Navy oversees naval operations. The Wakandan Air Guard is the nation's air force , which includes pilots wearing powerful suits of combat armor. In order to ensure peace and stability in Wakanda, the Black Panther picked Dora Milaje ("adored ones") from rival tribes to serve as his personal guard and ceremonial wives-in-training. Wakanda has its own intelligence system known as
1980-545: The Wakandan people; the students barely flee with the help of Storm. When Hydra manipulates a sentient cosmic cube named Kobik into unknowingly replacing the real Captain America's Steve Roger with his Hydra counterpart, then enact their Secret Empire , Wakanda is under a threat to be taken over by the rise of terrorist group across the universe, with its king T'Challa getting captured and forced to surrender, until all heroes and some villains who rebel against Hydra finally find
2040-468: The White Gorilla Cult, killing one of the rare white gorillas living in the jungles near Wakanda. M'Baku bathes in the gorilla's blood and eats its flesh which "mystically" confers the gorilla's great strength upon M'Baku. He tries to defeat T'Challa in combat, hoping to take over the country, but is beaten and banished from Wakanda. According to the 2018 film, the White Gorilla cult, known in
2100-438: The assembled vampires by a mortal priest. Varnae arranged for one of his minions to deflower a virgin near the waters where Dracula's ashes had been scattered; exposure to the former virgin's hymeneal blood was enough for Dracula to return to life. Dracula then slew the minion and confronted Varnae, but Varnae effortlessly overpowered Dracula. Varnae then forced Dracula to drink his blood to the point of saturation, placed Dracula in
2160-463: The characters in the black and white magazine Bizarre Adventures , Steve Bissette and John Totleben decided to go further back and create a worthy sire for Dracula, and inserted Varnae into a darker version of the story from Dracula Lives! . Much later, writer Roy Thomas revisited the character of Varnae while writing Conan the Barbarian and Doctor Strange in the early 1990s. Thomas added
2220-672: The combination of the blood of Bloodstorm, King, and Drake. Since his rebirth, Dracula has again taken on the title of the Lord of the Vampires. During the " Blood Hunt " storyline, it is discovered that Eons ago, Varnae's theft of the Vibranium from the Fires of Ptah had caused him and his followers to run afoul of Khonshu , Bast , and their fellow gods in the Ennead and the Orisha. Kokou the Ever-Burning fought Varnae in his temple. It
2280-474: The comics, Wakanda has three official languages: Wakandan, Yoruba and Hausa . In the Marvel Cinematic Universe , characters from Wakanda are portrayed speaking the South African Xhosa language . The Jabari Tribe are portrayed speaking a dialect similar to Igbo from Nigeria . In the 2018 film Black Panther and its 2022 sequel , the Wakandan language is depicted as being written in
2340-535: The country speak in the Xhosa language , as T'Challa 's actor Chadwick Boseman developed using a "regional accent based on where Wakanda would be. He did great research on the very cultural aspects of the character. Even though it's a fictional culture, [he figured out] ways to tether it into real African culture." Additionally, it is located at the northern end of Lake Turkana, at a fictional point bordering Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. In real life, this area
2400-529: The deployment of technological developments, both sides are forced to fight with swords and spears. The Wakandan forces voluntarily wear panther masks; this prevents the Skrulls from focusing attacks on their leader. Despite losses, the Wakandans defeat the Skrulls. They kill every single one, including K'vvvr, and send their ship back, packed with the bodies. A warning against invading Wakanda is left written on
2460-714: The film as the Jabari (or the Mountain Tribe), revere the (Hindu) monkey god, Hanuman . Sekhmet the Lion Goddess, based on the deity of the same name , could possess the form of any human worshipers or the bodies of those sanctified and sacrificed by her worshipers, she transformed these subjects into human avatars of herself. She has a number of other powers, some of which she has demonstrated. Sekhmet could grow in size, move at rapid speeds, teleport herself and others, and alter her specific density. The Lion goddess possessed superhuman strength and durability, and she
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2520-485: The film, Killmonger arrives to try to seize the throne—sharing T'Challa's desire to end Wakanda's isolationism, but by conquering the outside world using Wakanda's advanced technologies and weapons instead. Ultimately, T'Challa defeats Killmonger and decides to reveal Wakanda's true nature to the world during an address at the United Nations . The film's popularity led to a trend among athletes and celebrities around
2580-480: The history of the character as an Atlantean and a foe of Conan and Red Sonja in the former, and revived the character in modernity in the "Vampiric Verses" storyline in the latter. Varnae's history was further fleshed out by the addition of the battles with Thor (in Marvel Comics Presents ) and Aamshed (in the 2005 Tomb of Dracula miniseries). Varnae appeared as part of the "Vampires" entry in
2640-462: The king's council, and after the Mountain tribe assists T'Challa in his overthrow of the usurper, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens , M'Baku is also granted a seat on the council in recognition of his loyalty. The four main tribes speak a version of the Xhosa language while the Jabari speak an Igbo dialect. The opening animated sequence to Black Panther explains Wakanda was aware that the outside world
2700-437: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wakanda_Forever&oldid=1194963388 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Wakanda Wakanda has appeared in comics and various media adaptations, such as in
2760-485: The mothership while a rebel commander set the planet holding the rebel base's core to explode as a last ditch attempt to stop him; resulting in the sacrifice of thousands of lives and the apparent death of N'Jadaka. After N'Jadaka invades Earth, Queen Ramonda forms an alliance with the Originators to prevent total destruction. There are several theories about the etymology of Wakanda. The name may be inspired by
2820-465: The outside world. He sells off minute amounts of the valuable vibranium while surreptitiously sending the country's best scholars to study abroad, consequently turning Wakanda into one of the world's most technologically advanced nations. Eventually, however, the explorer Ulysses Klaue finds his way to Wakanda and covers up his work on a vibranium-powered, sound-based weapon. When exposed, Klaue kills T'Chaka, only to see his "sound blaster" turned on him by
2880-526: The person who consumes it to near-superhuman levels, in a similar manner to the super-soldier serum. The tribe that would become the Jabari worshiped Ngi, who was responsible for creating Gorilla-Man . Ngi was based on the Yaounde deity of the same name. Currently, the Jabari tribe worship the gorilla god Ghekre, based on the Baoulé deity of the same name. Wakanda evolved from a hunter-warrior society, and
2940-526: The sea during the Great Cataclysm, Varnae entered a state of suspended animation, and awoke thousands of years later during the Hyborian Age . There, he fought Conan the Barbarian and his allies Red Sonja and Zula, but was forced away by Zula's magic. In ancient Sumeria circa 2000 BC, Varnae and the sorceress Aamshed created a spell that could magnify a vampire's power, but Aamshed twisted
3000-515: The spell so that it could only be cast on a vampire's home soil (which, in Varnae's case, no longer existed), and it could only be cast every 2,000 years. When the next opportunity came to cast the spell around 1 AD, Varnae attempted to mystically raise Atlantis, but Aamshed foiled his plans. During the Viking Age, Varnae traveled to North America, where he discovered a colony of Vikings and battled
3060-523: The support of Kokou the Ever-Burning. In the distant past, Bast and Gherke lead the Enneads and the Orishas against Varnae's forces. Kokou confronts Varnae in his temple. The prisoners are evacuated as Bast instructs the black panthers to take the prisoners west and wait for the news of victory. In the distant past, a massive meteorite made up of the element vibranium crashed in Wakanda. The meteorite
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#17327972856713120-463: The tallest structures. Before the emergence of the Wakandan nation, mystic beings known as Originators lived in the region. Originators were diverse races: Anansi (spider-like), Vanyan (ape-like), Creeping Doom (insectoid), Ibeji (two-headed humanoids) and Children of Olokun (sea-creatures). The Originators were expelled from the region by the humans and the Orisha, the pantheon of Wakanda consisting of Thoth , Ptah , Mujaji, Kokou and Bast ,
3180-467: The vibranium mound to outsiders. He formed a religious order that guarded the mound and fought to keep the "demon spirits" from spreading across the kingdom. As the ceremonial and religious role, he took the title of Black Panther as chief of the Panther Tribe. As part of the cult's ceremonies, a Black Panther is entitled to the use of a heart-shaped herb. The herb enhances the physical attributes of
3240-585: The wall of the ship's control center. While under the cosmic power of the Phoenix Force , Namor attacks Wakanda for hiding the Avengers and destroys much of the country with a tidal wave. After the attack, all mutants (particularly those who were siding with Phoenix controlled mutants) are banned from entering Wakanda as stated by Black Panther. Some students from the Jean Grey school are attacked by
3300-401: The world to throw up "Wakanda Forever" salutes after their victories. Director Ryan Coogler stated that his depiction of Wakanda was inspired by the southern African kingdom of Lesotho . Basotho blankets also became more known as a result of the film and its basis on Lesotho. Below are Wakanda's featured appearances: Two Little Golden Books were published. Varnae Varnae
3360-587: Was becoming increasingly chaotic throughout various historical events that affected Africa, such as the Atlantic slave trade , the colonization of Africa by European powers, World War I , and World War II . The Black Panthers of the past, however, were devoted to defending their own country and did not interfere, instead choosing to hide Wakanda from the world—fearing that if they became involved and revealed themselves, it would eventually lead to outsiders trying to invade Wakanda. Instead, Wakanda passes itself off as
3420-521: Was immortal. She can manipulate the minds of the weak-willed. Little is known of the history of the Lion Goddess. She had apparently lost many worshipers over the years to the Cult of the Panther God, despite the fact that Sekhmet physically manifested before its followers, and the Panther God only appears to its priests. Sobek the Crocodile God, based on the deity of the same name , appears to be an ancient and somewhat neglected Wakandan deity. Social media users in Indonesia often use "Wakanda" as
3480-405: Was named Mena Ngai. It was unearthed a generation before the events of the present day. T'Challa, the previous Black Panther and brother to the current Black Panther, Shuri, is the son of T'Chaka, the Black Panther before him and a descendant of Olumo Bashenga. Knowing that others would attempt to manipulate and dominate Wakanda for this rare and valuable resource, T'Chaka conceals his country from
3540-468: Was saved from death when he was bitten and transformed into a vampire by Varnae's servant Lianda . Varnae rewarded Lianda with death, and rewarded another minion, Nimrod , with a taste of Varnae's own blood. Varnae named Nimrod the Lord of the Vampires, then set Nimrod against the fledgling vampire Dracula as a test for Dracula, who was his real choice for the title. As Varnae watched from afar, Dracula slew Nimrod and his lover Lala, only to be slain alongside
3600-448: Was traditionally ruled by its greatest warrior. The dominant Black Panther Cult outlawed the rival White Gorilla Cult's worship in Wakanda. M'Baku ( Man-Ape ) of the Jabari tribe is one of Wakanda's greatest warriors, second only to T'Challa, the Black Panther himself. While T'Challa, king of Wakanda, is on a several-month leave of absence from Wakanda, the ambitious M'Baku plots to usurp the throne. M'Baku flouts T'Challa's edicts and revives
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